Typewriter and the like, with elongated platen carriage



March 18, 1958 R. E. KINGSBURY TYPEWRITER AND THE LIKE, WITH ELONGATED PLATEN CARRIAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1954 RALPH E K/IZGSBURV C ATTORNEY March 1958 R. E. KINGSBURY TYPEWRITER AND THE LIKE, WITH ELONGATED PLATEN CARRIAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 50, 1954 IN V EN TOR. PAL PH E KINGSBURV BY mm;

United States Patent Qfifice ,i? ;Lg

TYPEWRETER AND THE LEKE, WHTH ELGNGATED PLATEN CARRIAGE Ralph E. Kingshury, Rocky Hill, Conn, assignor to Un= derwood Corporation, New York, N. 15., a corporation of Delaware Application December 39, 1954, Serial No. 473,733 a cuttin or. 197l8e) This invention relates to typewriters and machines of a similar character having a carriage or like element mounted on the machine for reciprocation. More particularly the invention relates to improved supporting structures for extended carriage ways or guides, and stabilizing arrangements used with typewriters having elongated carriage Most typewriters are made in a single standard size to accommodate the more usual widths of paper used in correspondence, legal documents, ofiice forms, etc. The platen and therefore the carriage of the typewriter is made of a length approximately equal to the Width of the main body or frame of the machine. The carriage length and mass in a standard typewriter is calculated carefully in order to be sure that there is but little tendency for the machine to overbalance and tip to one side or the other when the carriage is positioned in one extreme or its movements or the other in use. Supporting ways or guiding means for the carriage insure precise yet easy movement of the platen during operation of the typewriter.

However, when a typewriter is desired for printing upon ledger sheets, charts or other paper forms having widths greater than the usual papers, a machine capable of receiving wider sheets of paper must be provided. Up to a certain point this increased width capacity may be obtained in a standard machine simply by exchanging the original-standard length carriage and platen for a longer carriage andplaten and by increasing the lengths of the carriage ways accordingly. Beyond certain limits, an increase in carriage and platen length will overbalance the machine when the carriage nears one or the other extreme in its movement, and the ways or guides supporting the elongated carriage may actually interfere rather than assist in the desired accurate and easy movement of theplaten, by sagging under theincreased weight or by springing out of line.

In order to overcome these objections, in designing machines for using carriages and platens longer than standard, it has been the practice to manufacture type writers having one or more of the following features: (1) entire bases or frames wider than the standard, (2) widened separation between the feet or supports on the base, (3) increased length of the carriage ways or guides, and (4) laterally extending structures on special bases or frames for supporting the ends of the elongated carriage waysandpreve nting sagging orspringing. Unfortunately, the building of these special wider bases, the changing of the spacing of the feet, and the provision of laterally extending carriage way S pports all unreasonably increase the cost of the machine, especially when it is remembered that savings due to mass-production techniquescan not be fully obtained because of the relatively small demand for and production of these wider machines compared to the standard machines.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means for manufacturing typewriters of special Widths although using to the maximum degree parts .from

standard width typewriters. Thus, many of the savings of the mass-produced standard machines can apply to the special machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide auxiliary structures which may be readily attached to a standard typewriter base frame and printing mechanism, these auxiliary structures combining the effects of Widening the supporting base, lengthening the carriage-supporting ways, and adequately supporting the ends of the extended ways. A further object is to provide, in these auxiliary structures, means to adjust the support of the carriage ways before or after final assembly and to secure the supports firmly after adjustment so that difficulties due to manufacturing variations of parts may be overcome, and so that accurate supporting and guiding of the platen carriage can be maintained at all times. Other objects include the provision of structures as above outlined which are not only rugged and inexpensive, but also attractive to the eye because they blend with the lines of a standard machine and hide the elements for securing and for adjusting the parts.

These objects are met by providing two sets of laterally extending carriage way supporting elements or outriggers, each set consisting of two spaced, generally Z-shaped arms, connected together near their ends by cross-bars. These outriggers are secured to the sides of the base or frame of a standard machine at the bottom edge, and carry auxiliary feet for widening the effective base of the machine. Vertical portions of the outrigger arms extend upwardly alongside the standard machine frame and may bear against the sides of the frame to increase stability of the assembly. Upper portions of the arms extend laterally outwardly of the main frame and are adjustably but firmly secured to the front and rear elongated carriage ways. The cross-bars between the arms of each outrigger maintain the proper back-tofront spacing and support between the carriage Ways. The under side of each outrigger arm may be hollowed out to house and conceal the adjustable connection to the carriage Way. 7 v

Other objects and further details of that which is believed to be novel and included in this invention will be clear from the following description and claims, taken with the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated an example of wide carriage typewriter embodying the present invention and incorporating the improved adjustable outriggers with supporting feet and other features for accommodating elongated carriage Ways on a standard width machine frame.

In the drawings: 7

Figure l is a front elevational view of a machine indicating how the outriggers and extended carriage ways support a wide carriage and platen on a typewriter base frame of standard width;

Figure 2 is a side view as if looking from the righthand end of Figure l and showing the top portions of the right-hand outrigger, the ends of the carriage ways, and the carriage in the ways;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the right-hand outrigger and portions of the carriage ways to which it is secured, parts being broken away to clarify the internal structures;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of one of the Outriggers, showing its connection to the standard typewriter base frame and its location with respect to the feet on the standard frame;

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing details of an adjustable connection between one of the outrigger arms and a portion of the front carriage way, sometimes called the carriage rail;

Figure 6 is a similar enlarged sectional view showing details of an adjustable connection between another of sometimes called the wayrod, and

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic outline of the principal surfaces of an outrigger arm, showing in solid lines one condition of adjustment of the arm and in dot-dash lines another-conditionof adjustment of the arm, the conditions being shown exaggerated for clarity. "A standard Underwood typewriter is shown as one to which the invention maybe applied. This includes a main base-or frame 10 which, in the form shown,'is a casting which houses and supports the printing mechanisms .ofthe .typewriter. It is understood that in addition'to the keys 11 of the keyboard, the balance of the mechanisms for producing typing upon actuation of the keys may be of any desired form. I

On the bottom'of the frame suitable feet 12 are secured in any desired way, these feet usually being made of rubher to deaden the sound of operation of the machine. Obviously, the width of the support otfered by these feet on the, standard machine is limited by the width of the base of the machine.

On the top of the frame are mounted structures for supporting the carriage. In the front of the machine this consists of a front carriage rail 13, which may be secured, as by bolts 14 and nuts 15, to flat surfaces 16 near the front of the top of the frame casting. In the back of the machine the carriage support is formed by a wayrod 17, in turn supported, as by a wayrod mounting bracket 13, from suitable points near the rear of the top of the frame. This may be'regarded as usual construction, excepting that in the present case the carriage rail and wayrod are extended laterally for a considerable distance on each side of the standard size machine frame.

Thercarriage and platenused here may also be of a standard design excepting for the increased length which is desired to accommodate wider sheets of paper. The rectangular carriage frame 19 includes side or end portions 20 in which the shaft 21 of a platen 22 of appropriate length is rotatably journalled in the usual fashion.

, The front of the carriage frame is supported and guided in horizontal movement as by rollers 23 which ride in a channel 24in the front carriage rail 13. The rear of the carriage is supported and guided for movement by sets of rollers 25 which bear against surfaces on the wayrod 17. The terms carriage rail or way will be used generically here to: denote either form of carriage supporting and guiding structure, whether like the channeled front rail shown, or like the rear wayrod of the drawing.

' Thecarriage and its rails may'b e of substantially the same construction as those of Helmond Patent 1,693,144, orany other design, although in wide'carriage typewriter construction the rectangular type of carriage frame, guided 4 size of outrigger might be made to suit different widths or lengths of carriage ways.

Each carriage rail support bracket 26, forrbrevity here called an outrigger, has a pair of similar generally shaped to follow the contour of the side of the main machine frame as shown best in Figure 4, and secured to the bottom of this cross-bar is an auxiliary foot 32,

and supported on rails both at the front and at the back of the machine, is preferred over other kinds.

' a The carriage rails are made straight and smooth within very close limits so that the carriage frame will ride easily and yet without looseness in or on these guiding ways, The present invention is designed to maintain the proper supporting'and guiding action of the ways where they extend for considerable distance outwardly on either side of the main frame of the machine. For example, but without intending to limit the invention in any way, in-a machine with' a twenty-inch carriage, it has been found that the rails should be almost 28 inches long and will therefore project over seven inches from both sides of the main frame. A twenty-seven inch carriage will require rails 39 /2 inches long, projecting over thirteen inches on 'each side. For manufacturing economy the Outriggers of the present invention have been made in a single size so that they will support the ends of the extended carriage rails in a twenty-inch carriage machine, or will support the extended rails in a twenty-seven-inch carriage machine at points about half-way between the machine and the rail ends. If desired, more than asingle which may be of rubber or other suitable material like the feet 12 of the machine proper. Of course, two'or more auxiliary feet might be provided instead of the single elongated foot shown.

A thin ledge or flange 33 extends inwardly'from the bottom edge of cross-bar 29 toward the machine and under it. This flange is made of less thickness than the heights of the feet 12 and the auxiliary feet 32 so that it will not touch a table or other surface on which the machine may be resting, and the flange is secured under the'bottom edge of the main frame of the machine, as by machine screws 34, which are threaded into suitable tapped holes on the under side'of the frame. The thickness of the'fiange' 33, and the natural flexibility of the materials from which the parts are made, combine to permit a limited hinge action or rocking connection of the outrigger to the base frame at the point generally indicated at 35 in the drawings. This is of importance in adjustment of the outriggers, as will be later explained.

The Vertical portions of the Z-arms follow the con- 7 tours of the sides of the machine frame, as shown best in Figure l, and then the arms turn outwardly, laterally away from the machine, parallel to and spaced a short distance from the carriage rails. The final'portion of each arm is a short vertical section or tip 36 which ends in a horizontal flat surface 37 intended to contact and support the underside of a carriage rail or way.

It may be noted that portions of the under side of the cross-bar 29 and of both the front arm 27 and the rear arm 28 of the outrigger are hollowed out. This is a standard practice in making castings of the type used here, but further advantage is taken of the hollowing by extending it to provide a recess 38 in the tip of arm 27 and a similar recess 39 in the tip of arm 28 underneath the flat bearing surfaces 37, These recessesare used to hold and conceal elements used in adjustably connecting the outriggers to the rails.

The adjustable elements are in the form of mounting blocks 40 for the front arms, and blocks 41 for the rear arms of the outriggers. These blocks are similar to each other in function although their details of connection to tends from cavity 38 to the flat surface 37. 'By tight-.

ening the screw 42, the end of arm 27 may be pulled firmly against the rail 13. 7

On either side of the cavity 38, horizontally opposed set-screws 46 and 47 are threaded through walls of the cavity, these screws engaging laterally opposite sides of the block40.

In'Figure 6 is shown the slightly different arrangement for adjustably connecting and supporting the rear wayrod 17 by the arms *28 of the Outriggers. In 'this'case the recess 39 receives mounting block 41, with clearance again allowed for lateral movement. The heads of a pair of machine screws 48 hold the mounting bracket 18 of wayrod 17 against the horizontal flat ends 37 of the outrigger arms 28. In order to do this, the screws 43, located at fixed points in bracket 18, are threaded into appropriate vertical holes in block 41, after passing through laterally elongated holes or slots 49 which extend through the surface 37 from cavity 39. Laterally opposed set-screws 50 and-:51 are positioned to engage opposite sides of the block 41.

When putting the machine together, the carriage rails are first installed and secured on the main base or frame. Then first one. of theoutriggers, and then the other, is applied and secured at its bottom fiange to the base by screws 34. The set screws are all inserted in the ends of the outrigger arms, but are not turned down. The blocks 40 are inserted in the recesses 38 of the front arms 27 of the Outriggers, and the screws 42 are threaded into the bushings 43 of the rail to connect the rail to the front arms. Next, the screws 48 are placed in the wayrod mounting bracket and threaded into the blocks 41. Inspection of the assembly is made, and if there is a gap between any of the flat surfaces 37 and the carriage way which it is supposed to support, the inside screw, i. e., 46 or 50 as the case may be, is turned in to shift the mounting block outwardly, thereby moving the upper end of the arm inwardly. This results in rocking or flexing the arm slightly about the point 35, as shown by the dot-dash lines in Figure 7, and the surface 37 is raised to close the gap. I

Opposite adjustment, to lower the ends of the outrigger arms when necessary, is provided by turning in the outer set screws. 47 and 51 to move the mounting block inwardly of the end of the arm involved. See the solid lines in Figure 7. The amount of adjustment required is actually very small, and the drawing simply shows it in exaggerated fashion.

After adjustment, the set screws are all tightened without moving the mounting blocks, and the screw connections, between the base and outriggers and between the Outriggers and carriage ways, are all checked for tightness. The machine is now ready for installation of the carriage in the ways, in the usual fashion.

In order to improve the appearance of the assembly, to prevent vibration between the parts, and to act as a sound deadener, thin soft rubber pads 52 may be used between the sides of the base frame and the contoured portions of the lower cross bars 29 and the vertical sections of the outrigger arms. These pads may be cemented in place on the outrigers before assembly, and may be colored to blend with the body of the machine. The resiliency of the rubber permits the limited pivoting movement between outriggers and frame when this is necessary for adjustment. The rubber pads also prevent an unsightly gap between the outriggers and the machine frame.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of this invention are not limited to the particular details set forth as an example, and it is contemplated that various and other modifications and applications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a typewriter having a frame, a carriage, a front and rear carriage rail for supporting and guiding said carriage in horizontal movement across said frame, and portions on said rails extending laterally away from the sides of said frame, that improvement comprising a pair of rail supporting Outriggers, one for the extending rails on each side of the frame, each outrigger having a front arm and a rear arm, each arm extending upwardly alongsea; 14%

side the frame, then laterally underneath but spaced from the extending portion of a carriage rail, and finally upwardly to meet said rail, an adjustable connection at the junction between the upper end of each arm and its corresponding rail, an upper cross bar on each outrigger connecting the upper ends of the front and rear arms in spaced relation to each other, a lower cross bar on each outrigger connecting the lower ends of the arms, and means flexibly securing each outrigger to a side of the typewriter frame near the bottom edge thereof.

2. In a typewriter having a frame, feet on said frame, a carriage, spaced front and rear carriage rails for supporting and guiding said carriage in horizontal movement across said frame, and portions 011 said rails extending laterally away from the opposite sides of said frame, that improvement comprising a rail supporting outrigger for the extending rails on each side of the frame, each outrigger having a front arm and a rear arm, each arm extending vertically upward close alongside the frame, then laterally underneath but spaced from the extending portion of a carriage rail, and finally upwardly to meet said rail, an adjustable connection at the junction between the upper end of each arm and its corresponding rail, an upper cross bar on each outrigger connecting the upper ends of the front and rear arms in spaced relation to each other, a lower cross bar on each outrigger connecting the lower ends of the arms, means securing each outrigger to a side of the typewriter frame near the bottom edge thereof, an auxiliary foot on the bottom of each outrigger, and a resilient pad between each vertically extending outrigger arm and the adjacent frame side.

3. In a typewriter having a frame, feet under said frame, a carriage, parallel spaced front and rear carriage rails for supporting and guiding said carriage in horizontal movement across said frame, and portions on said rails extending laterally away from the opposite sides of said frame, that improvement comprising a pair of Outriggers for supporting the extending rails on each side of the frame, each outrigger having a front arm and a rear arm, each arm extending from a lower point near the base of the frame, laterally underneath an extending carriage rail and upwardly to meet said rail, an adjustable connection at the junction between the upper end of each arm and its corresponding rail, an upper cross bar on each outrigger connecting the upper ends of the front and rear arms in spaced relation to each other, a lower cross bar on each outrigger connecting the lower ends of the arms, a flange on each lower cross bar extending under said frame, means securing each flange under the frame near a bottom edge thereof, and an auxiliary supporting foot on the lower cross bar of each outrigger.

4. In a typewriter having a frame, a carriage, a carriage rail for supporting and guiding said carriage in horizontal movement on said frame, and a portion on said rail extending laterally away from a side of said frame, that improvement comprising a carriage rail support arm secured at one end near the bottom edge of the side of said frame, extending laterally underneath said extending portion of said rail and upwardly to an end adapted to support said rail, and a laterally adjustable connection at the junction between the end of said support arm and said rail, said connection including a laterally movable mounting block carried by said arm in said end, a fixed element securing said block to said rail, and a pair of horizontally opposed set screws on either side of said block for moving it laterally with respect to said arm end in either direction.

5. in a typewriter having a frame, a carriage, a carriage rail for supporting and guiding said carriage in horizontal movement on said frame, and a portion on said rail extending laterally away from a side of said frame, that improvement comprising a carriage rail support arm secured at one end near the bottom edge of the side of said frame, extending upwardly closely alongside the frame, then laterally underneath and spaced from said e 7 extending portion of said rail, and finally upwardly to a fiat end adapted to support said rail, and a laterally adjus'table connection at the junction between the end of said support arm and said rail, said connection including a laterally movable mounting block carried by said arm under said flat end, a fixed screw securing said block to said rail through a laterally extending slot in the arm end, and a pair of opposed set screws on either side of said block for moving it laterally with respect to said arm in either direction;

6. 'In a typewriter having .a frame, a carriage, a carriage rail for supporting and guiding said carriage in horizontal movement on said frame, and portions on said rail extending laterally away from the opposite sides of said frame, that improvement comprising two carriage rail support' arms, each arm flexibly secured at one end near the bottom of a side of said frame, extending laterally underneath the corresponding extending portion of said rail and upwardly to a flat surface adapted to support said rail, each arm having" a recess therein under said fiat surface, a laterally movable mounting block carried in said recess of said arm under said fiat surface, a fixed screw securing said block to said rail through a laterally 7 extending slot in the arm end, and a pair of horizontally opposed set screws on either side of said block for moving it laterally with respect to said arm end in either direction, whereby a hidden adjustable connection is made between each arm end and its corresponding rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,548,461 Hart Aug. 4, 1925 2,280,806 Dowd et al. Apr. 28, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 494,009 Germany Mar. 17,1930 506,745 Germany -Sept. 8, 1930 

